Shang Xia means “up down,” two words that express the continuous flow of energy between the past and the future. For designer Jiang Qiong Er, it’s all about honoring China’s cultural traditions and bringing them into the future through contemporary design. With support from Hermès, she works together with old masters of fine materials and nearly forgotten handicrafts to develop quality clothing, jewelry, furniture, and eggshell porcelain so thin and perfectly shaped that the bowls can be made to sing.